Strider knives finishes? (Paint in general)

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Sid Post

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I'm looking at the new Strider AR I just got out of the mailbox, and started wondering what the Tiger stripes were. They sort of look like paint. Does anyone know if it is just plain ole' paint?

As a follow on question, is there any reason whY a descent coat of paint would be a bad thing for a knife? Say I get a knife with some Black tactical coat on it. Could I get a paint that would stick and make it look different without harming it? Sure it would scratch and peel but, a spray can of paint or two is cheap.

THANKS!
 
There is only a couple of reasons that I can think of why not to paint a blade.

1. I guess it could void any warranty from the maker.

2. There could be the possibility of said paint being a corrosive towards the blade, depending on the type of paint used vs. the steel and finish of the blade.

Other than that, I drawing a big zero, sorry.



:)
 
Originally posted by Sid Post
I'm looking at the new Strider AR I just got out of the mailbox, and started wondering what the Tiger stripes were. They sort of look like paint. Does anyone know if it is just plain ole' paint?
Click to expand...

I remember the answer on the Strider forums was that the tiger stripes were some oxide left on the blade after heat treat (sorta like scales).

I think spray paint works in the field, but would you spray paint your custom knife? :eek:

Sid, still waiting for your Obie framelock sale....:p
 
I've looked through a few sites, and apparently it's a "proprietry, corrosion resistant coating" developed by Strider Knives. It might be a boron carbide coat, but I'm not too sure.
 
Didn't Mick say paint is for painters? :D

If your AR has some reddish hues, then the black stuff is part of the normal heat treat process. If it is solid black, it is black oxide that is bead blasted to get the stripe effect.
 
E__WOK is right, it is not just paint. I have had my AR with tiger stripes for a few months now, and have used it a fair amount. The tiger stripes have not shown any signs of wear yet. If it was just paint I think it would wear off in use very quickly, and not be of much use.

BTW, if I remember correctly only the BG-42 blades will have the color shifts from HT. The newer S-30V blades have the black oxide added after the HT process, and lacks color variations. But either way it is still an oxide coating that is very strong and holds up to use well.
 
As has been mentioned before me, The Strider Tiger stripe is a process where they take a blade that has come out of the heat treat furnace, with its dark heat treated discoloration and they randomly bead blast away selected areas to create a dissrupted, sort of cammo finish. There is NO painting involved in the Strider process. That being said, there are makers that apply paint to their knives as a final finish. John Greco comes to mind first off. He applys a food safe painted finish to his knives. He will refinish them for you after they get worn away also. If you ever do decide to paint a knife you own and you intend to use it on any food prep, you would be well advised to find one that is food safe. Have Fun!!:D
 
how do you randomly bead blast the camo pattern? is it very labour intensive? do you use "stencils"?

thanks,
spyken
 
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